Car accidents happen daily in Australia – while some are straightforward, the circumstances surrounding others are less clear. Maybe the other driver’s version of what happened is completely different to yours. Maybe there’s genuine confusion over who had to give way. Or perhaps someone’s reversed into your parked car – and hasn’t left a note.
In situations like these, many drivers are now relying on something that wasn’t widely available a decade or so ago – dash cam footage. A small camera that attaches to your car’s dashboard or windscreen,1 a dash cam can play a key role in outlining the circumstances of an accident, including who may have been at fault.2
And dash cams don’t just record bumps and bingles – they may encourage safer driving too. For example, ACT Police have invited drivers to submit their dash cam footage online to help them identify dangerous driving, resulting in fines, cautions and warnings being issued.3
Meanwhile, 25% of Australian drivers have admitted to changing their driving behaviour when they’re aware a dash cam might be recording them.4
If you’re considering investing in a dash cam for your vehicle, you might want to know more about how these popular devices work. Namely, how do you install a dash cam? What are some recommended dash cam features to look out for? And does a dash cam lower your car insurance? To answer these questions – and others you might have – we’ve put together this handy guide.
How do dash cams work?
A dash cam or dashboard camera is a lightweight, compact device that records video of what’s happening on the road ahead of you – and even behind you, depending on the type of dash cam you buy.1 Some dash cams also capture audio inside the car.1
As well as recording while you drive, some dash cams can also record incidents that occur when you’re not in your vehicle.5 These models are typically equipped with motion sensors that can detect suspicious activity, such as someone trying to break into your car.6
What are the main types of dash cams?
Dashcams are typically plugged into a car’s cigarette lighter, charge port or USB input,5 while some models may have a small solar panel that enables the dash cam to keep charging even when you’re not driving.7
Some dash cams can also be permanently hardwired to your car’s fuse box. To do this, you’d need to buy a dash cam hardwire kit and hire an auto electrician to install it – the fuse box also supplies power to your car’s safety features, such as the airbags, so it’s recommended to leave installation to the experts.5
Finally, some luxury vehicles, from the likes of Tesla, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, already roll off the production line with in-built dash cam functionality.8
Where is dash cam footage stored?
The footage captured by a dash cam may be stored on a Secure Digital (SD) card – similar to the card in a digital camera – or in the cloud.9 Once an SD card is full, the dash cam begins to record over older footage, so it can be a good idea to save any important clips. If footage is stored remotely in the cloud, you won’t have to worry as much about it being erased.9
Are there rules for collecting and using dash cam footage?
Yes, there are some rules around dash cam footage in Australia, with minor variations across different states and territories – but the fundamental principles are consistent nationwide.10,11 Generally, you’re allowed to:
- Record video on public roads and in car parks10
- Upload dash cam footage of dangerous driving to the police to help solve traffic offences or a crash3,10,11
- Share it with your insurer if you need to make a claim and provide evidence of what’s happened.2,11
However, if you’re tempted to upload dash cam footage to social media to showcase other people’s dubious driving, you might want to think twice before you share. If the footage identifies other people, shows the vehicle registration plates of other road users or records private conversations, then you may be breaking privacy laws.10
Plus, if your dash cam does record audio, you may have to let your passengers know they’re being recorded in advance – or you could consider disabling the audio feature until you need it.10
Do dash cams lower insurance premiums?
This will depend on your insurer, but generally, no – most insurers don’t offer a discount for having a dash cam installed in your car.1
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) explains that this is because dash cams don’t reduce the likelihood of a collision.
“Individual insurers set their own underwriting criteria for determining insurance premiums – there’s no standard discount for having a dash cam installed,” says an ICA spokesperson.
Can dash cam footage help you avoid paying an excess?
In certain circumstances, for example, if you’re making an insurance claim for an accident that’s not your fault, being able to provide dash cam footage may help you avoid having to pay an excess.
“Dashcam footage can provide valuable evidence in determining accident liability and also help speed up claims assessment,” says the ICA spokesperson.
“Where footage demonstrates an insured driver was not at fault for a collision, this may result in the return of their insurance excess, potentially saving them money.”
While dash cam footage may help speed things up, you’ll still need to provide other information to your insurer, such as the other driver’s details, who they’re insured with, and a police report number if police attended the scene.12
Not every insurer is able to waive excess like this – you can learn more about whether your insurer does or doesn’t by reading your Product Disclosure Statement.13
How to choose the best dash cam for your needs
“You don’t need cinematic quality uploaded to the cloud non-stop, but having a dash cam that points in both directions – front and rear – is beneficial if you need to use the footage for a claim,” shares James Ward, Director of Content at Drive.
Depending on how much you want to spend, and what your priorities are, there are other key dash cam features you might wish to consider when choosing the best dash cam for you, says Ward.
Remote storage
A dash cam that saves footage to the cloud – or in other words, stores it remotely – can be helpful if your car is broken into and thieves steal your dash cam, because you’ll still be able to access the footage. Plus, you won’t lose footage when the SD card runs out of storage space, says Ward.
“Saving to cloud storage needs an internet connection and you pay a fee to store the footage, but at least the footage is then protected,” he says.
Image quality
While not everyone needs their dash cam to produce pin-sharp footage, high-quality images may be important if you like to keep memories of your road trips or you’re a content creator seeking professional-looking imagery. Or perhaps you’re a fleet manager who relies on the clearest possible footage as evidence should any incidents arise.
“Some dash cams now record up to 4K standard and the images are crystal clear, which can be useful if you need to use the footage to make a claim on your insurance,” says Ward.
Continuous monitoring
“Some dash cams also have an always-on monitoring loop, meaning they record continuously even when the engine is off and your car is parked,” says Ward.
“This can provide you with footage of things that happen just before an incident.
“Other dash cams have shock or motion sensing – so if your car is parked outside your home and is hit by another car, the dash cam will then be triggered by the impact to record.”
GPS capability
You may also want to consider choosing a dash cam with GPS that clearly shows the date and time, and the direction and location of where your vehicle was when it was involved in an incident.9
Choosing a dash cam requires a bit of research, but there is plenty of information available on websites that offer reviews of the latest dash cams and features.
“There are lots of different brands and stacks of dash cam reviews – the dash cam community is a vibrant one and that’s probably a good place to start your research,” says Ward.
How do you install a dash cam?
When it comes to where to place a dash cam, positioning your device correctly is paramount to ensure you capture the most useful angles and surroundings, says Ward.
It’s also important to ensure you fit a dash cam in a position that meets the legal regulations in your state or territory – essentially, the driver must still have a clear and unobstructed view of the road.10,14
This usually means you need to secure a dash cam just behind the rearview mirror.10,14
When mounting a dash cam, the Victorian Department of Transport provides this further guidance:
- The driver’s view of the speedometer must not be obstructed
- Any cables attached to a dash cam must be properly managed to not obstruct the driver’s view or become a hazard
- A dash cam must not prevent the driver from being able to see the road more than 11m in front of the vehicle.
“You can install a dash cam yourself if it has its own battery supply and plugs into the cigarette lighter,” adds Ward. “That’s quite a straightforward process.”
But if you’re worried about not being able to fit it correctly, or if the installation is a little more complex, he says it might be prudent to take it to a professional, such as an auto electrician.
“That way, you’ll ensure your dash cam is installed according to government rules and regulations – and that it’s working properly.”
FAQs about dash cam for cars
Now that you know some of the dash cam basics, we’ve covered off a few more specific, commonly asked dash cam questions.
Do dash cams drain your car battery?
Generally, a dash cam will have very little effect on your car battery while you’re driving because the engine’s alternator provides power to the dash cam15 – or, if you’re driving an electric vehicle (EV), it can run off the secondary 12-volt battery.16 When recording, a dash cam uses less than 5 watts of power; in parking mode, it uses even less power.15 To put this in perspective, a microwave oven uses from 625 watts to 2,000 watts of power.17
But you may run into some car trouble if the cigarette lighter your dash cam is hooked up to doesn’t switch off once you stop driving – for example, if you leave your keys in the car.15 If your dash cam ends up constantly recording overnight in parking mode, it could drain the car’s battery.15 In fact, in an EV, a few hours of parking mode recording could potentially drain the 12-volt battery – and while this battery doesn’t power the car, in some EVs it can cause a cascade of error codes that require dealer resets.16
However, if your dash cam has been hardwired to your petrol car’s fuse box or battery using a hardwire kit, the kit automatically regulates the power to avoid draining the car’s battery when your dash cam is in parking mode.16 On its own, hardwiring a dash cam in an EV isn’t usually recommended, so if you want your dash cam to record while your EV’s parked, you might like to invest in an external battery pack.16
Do dash cams record when your car is off?
If your dash cam has a parking mode and is connected to a power source, it can record even when you’re not driving your car, so that accidents are still recorded. To use parking mode, your dash cam typically has to be hardwired to your car’s power supply,5 or connected to a dedicated dash cam battery pack.15,16
How do I send dash cam footage to my insurance company?
At Youi, if you want to make a claim on your car insurance, dash cam footage – from your car or from anyone else who witnessed the crash2 – can be submitted as part of the process. Here’s how:
- Download the file to your computer
- If the file is small enough to send via email, attach it to your message and send it to the Youi email address provided by your claims advisor
- If the file is too large to email, use a cloud storage service (such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) and email the file share link to the email address advised.
Remember, you can lodge a claim online anytime, or by giving us a call on 13 9684. You’ll need to provide your policy number and details of when, where and how the accident occurred.
How long do dash cams keep recordings?
This depends on your dash cam’s storage method. If it uses an SD card, the bigger the SD card, the more storage capacity you’ll have. For example, a 32GB card will store from 3 to 6 hours of recording, depending on video quality and file size.18 If you store footage in the cloud, you may be able to store recordings for up to 180 days, depending on your subscription plan.19
Whatever method you’re using, it can be a good idea to back up any important clips from your dash cam footage to ensure you have them if needed at any time, says Ward.
While installing a dash cam in your car isn’t likely to lower the cost of your car insurance, it does mean you’ll be able to provide your insurer with footage if you need to make a claim, which may help to determine who was at fault for an accident.
At Youi, we offer three levels of car insurance, including Comprehensive car insurance which covers your car for accidental damage regardless of who was at fault. To see if our car insurance policies are a good fit for you, consider starting a quote online or by calling us on 13 9684.
1 Source: Canstar – Does installing a dash cam make your car insurance cheaper?, May 2025
2 Source: Legal Aid NSW – Car accidents evidence
3 Source: ACT Police – Drivers fined following dash cam uploads to police, October 2024
4 Source: Nextbase – State of Australian Road Safety Report, April 2022
5 Source: CHOICE – How to buy the best dashboard camera, April 2022
6 Source: carsales – Dash cam buyer’s guide, August 2024
7 Source: Techradar – This innovative solar-powered dash cam could do away with awkward hardwiring for good, September 2025
8 Source: CarExpert – Dashcams: Which cars have them built-in?, October 2022
9 Source: Techguide – Unlocking the Truth: Using Dashcams and Digital Data to Prove Your Case, September 2025
10 Source: Mobile Audio Concepts – Dash Cameras and the Law: What Every Australian Driver Needs to Know, May 2025
11 Source: Legal Finda – Dash Cam Legality in Melbourne: What Drivers Must Know, December 2025
12 Source: Moneysmart – Claiming on your car insurance
13 Source: Financial Rights Legal Centre – Paying Insurance Excess
14 Source: Transport Victoria – VSI 29 - Fitment of equipment and accessories within the drivers field of view, October 2021
15 Source: Drive – Will a dash cam drain my battery?, April 2023
16 Source: Bravenx – Why Hybrids & EVs Need External Dash Cam Batteries, September 2025
17 Source: Qld Government – Powering appliances with generators
18 Source: Dashcams Australia – Complete Guide to Dash Cam MicroSD Card Recording Times, April 2025
19 Source: Techradar – Best dash cam in Australia 2026: the top car recorders tested and reviewed, January 2026
